Golf-ball tee



Mai 18 1926.-

C. F. BENNEKE GOLF BALL TEE Filed Dec. 29, 1924 P tented May 18, 1926. V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. CHARLES F. BENNEKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GOLF-BALL TEE.

Application filed December 29, 1924. Serial No. 758,509. A A

This invention relates to improvements in golf ball tees a restrictedzone of the One object of the invention is to providea simple and' eflicient portable device adapted to replace the usual sand tee for supporting a golf ball, which may be economically manufactured.

Another object of the invention is to provide golf ball supports of the character described, adapted to be stuck into the ground, which may be convenientlycarried in large numbers-by the player to be used wherever desired.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf ball support made of relative ly soft, pliable material which will readily yield 01' bend when accidentally struck by the golfclub during play, so that there will be no interference with the stroke of the player, and which may be easily re-formed or bent'back into its original shape so that the same may be used repeatedly.

A further object of the invention is-to provide a support of 'the' character indicated, composed of material which, lends itself. readily to cutting and shearing, whereby when the golf ball support is either accidentally or intentionally left on the green, it will form no obstacle during mowing the green, inasmuch as the same will offer very little resistance to the cutting; operation of the blades of the mower.

More specifically, the object of my invention is to provide acne-piece golf tee made of sheet material, including a substantially horizontally disposed supporting member and a prong extending downwardly therefrom, adapted to be fixed in the ground to hold the tee in upright position, thesupporting member being formed to accommodate golf ball to support and hold the. same.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully and clearly appear from the description-and claimsv hereinafter fol lowing.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification. Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing my improved device in operative position, the golf ball being indicated in dotted lines. Figure 2 is an enlarged, vertical. sectional'view corresponding sub stantially to the line 2'2 of Figure 1. Figure' 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the tee shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 illustrates the blank form which the golf tee is formed.

'of the disk. 7

And Figure 5 is aview similar to Figure 1 on an enlarged scale, showing a diiferent embodiment of the invention;

Referring first to theembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, 10 indicates the body portion of my improved supporting device, having a prong or anchoring pin 11. formed integral therewith. The body portion 10 is in the form of a relatively thin cup-shaped member adapted to receive a restricted zone at the bottom of the golf ball to support the same. The concavity of the cup-shapedmember is preferably formed so as to correspond to the spherical surface of the golf ball, although the same maybe formed of a curvature of either greater or lesser diameter than the ball. The prong 11 is disposed centrally of the cup-shaped member and is in the form of an elongated, flat blade, the side edges 12 of which taper toward the lower end of the same. The bottom end 13 is preferably rounded. As clearly shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the prong 11 and the body portion 10 are formed from a single'blank edges along'lines 161 6 forming continuations of the side edges of the. projection 15. The prong member 11 is formed by bending the material along a line connect- 'ing the inner ends of the slits 16, thereby disposing the prong in a position centrally Figure 1 illustrates the device in operative position, the prong 11 being shown inserted in the ground so horizontal position, thereby acting as a retaining member, to support the ball in proper position for play.

My improved golf tee may be formed ofany suitable vcheap material which is relatively soft and pliable and may be easily cut that the cuppedbody portion 10 is disposed in substantiallyi then subjected the green at the desired place It will also be evident that the same support may be moved from place to place and used repeatedly. Should the support be left in the green, either, accidentally it will not the operation of mowing the green, inasmuch as the same is readily 'shearable, the cutting blades of the mower easily severing the same.

The method of forming myimproved golf tee is as follows: The blank shown. in

Figure 4 is die cut from a thin, fiat sheet so asto form the'disk portion 14 and the prong 15. The slits 16 arethen formed and the prong 15 bent at right angles to the disk as hereinbeforedescribed. The disk portionis to a' die shaping operation'to cup the same as shown in Figure 2, It will be evident that due to-the cupping operation, thediameter of the outer'periph ery of the body portion will be shortened, thereby contracting the mouth of the" opening 17' from which the upper end of the prong is'formed, as clearlyshown in Figure .3. The prong 15 is preferably made of such a'width that the mouth of the opening 17 will be substantially closed when the cup- I ball.

ping operation has been completed, thereby providing embraces the supported zone of the golf In using my improved golf tee, the same. .is inserted in the ground, as shownin Figure 1, and the ball supported on the cupped body member 10. If the tee is accidentally struck by the club during play, the same material of which it is composed. When the tee has thus been distortedor bent out of shape, it may' be manually reformed or bent back into its original state by the player without the use of tools.

.The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 5 comprises a cup-shaped member 19 and a prongjor anchoring pin 20 projecting downwardly therefrom sunspaced projections ilar toi the cup-shaped member 10 and prong 11 of the embodimentillustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive. The prong 20.has the side edges thereof indented, thereby forming nserted in the ground. In all other respects WI now consider the preferredmanner: '7 j or intentionally, be an objectionable obstacle to sheet material, comprising a ball-holding forming continuations a continuousouter' edge 18 which 21-21, which serve to more securely anchor thesupport, when in-z of carrying out my merelyillustrative, changes and in the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim: y "1. A one-piece support made from flat element and a prong of flat sheet metal formed integrally 'wi h said ball holding element and extending centrally therefrom,

said prong being adapted the ground to anchor the upright. position,

2. In a method of forming a support for a ball; forming from a sheet of material a d sk-like member having a projecting porto be-inserted in support in fixed,

tion; slitting said disk inwardly along lines of the outer edges of said projecting portion to form with said projecting portion an elongated prong attached to the disk inwardly of the edge thereof; bending said prong at an angle to said disk; and'forming said disk into cup shape. 7 i

3. In a, method of'making a ball support; forming from a thin sheet of material a ball retaining member having a prong-like portion extend ng therefrom slitting said member inwardly of its limits to provide a prolongation of said prong;and bending retaining member.

portion and an integral prong separated from the body portion and extending centrally therefrom and at an angle to the said body portion.

' wfill 1il'eadily yield, due to the pliable nature a 0 t e 5. A support for a baILincIuding a body portion and a-' prong formed integrally..

said prong-like portion at an angle to said 1 being angularly disposed with. reference thereto. 1

6. A support including a body member having a portion cut out to provide a prong extending at an angle to said body member, said body member being shaped so as to restrict the opening formed in cutting out I said prong.

7; A supportincluding a body member I having a'portion'cut out to provide a prong extending'at an angle to said body member,

said body member being shaped in a mannet to restrict the'Opening formed in cutting out said prong, the cut out portions b eing of-such dimensions that shaping ofsaid body portion to effect juxtaposition of the cut out portions'remote from said prong provides a" ball support of predetermined size.

In witness thatI claim the foregoing I 'have'hereupto subscribed my. name this 24th day of December 1924;

C LES F. BENNEKE. 

